MasukDeclan's POVI was dying.At least that was what it felt like. My body was on fire and every muscle cramped and twisted like they were trying to tear themselves from my bones. Sweat soaked through the thin hospital gown and the sheets beneath me. I could not stop shaking.The restraints bit into my wrists and ankles. Leather straps that kept me locked to the bed. They said it was for my own safety. That I might hurt myself during detox. But it felt like punishment.Maybe I deserved it.The room spun even when I closed my eyes. Colors bled together. Shadows moved on the walls. I saw faces that were not there. Monsters that crawled out of the corners. And her. Always her.Ethel.Her face haunted every fevered dream. Sometimes she was crying. Sometimes she was laughing. Sometimes she looked at me with those soft eyes and told me she forgave me. Other times she screamed and called me a monster.I did not know which version was worse.My mind was a mess. One moment I hated her with everyth
Ethel's POVPain exploded through my body like lightning.I gasped and my knees buckled. I hit the ground hard and the impact sent shockwaves up my spine. Every nerve in my body was on fire. Every muscle screamed. It felt like I was being torn apart from the inside out."What is happening?" I choked out.Corvan stepped back and his eyes went wide. "It is happening.""What is happening?" I screamed."Your first shift."No. That was impossible. I had never been able to shift. Not in my previous life. Not in this one. My wolf had been silent for as long as I could remember. Dormant. Broken.But now I could feel her. She was clawing her way to the surface with a fury I had never imagined. She was wild and powerful and she wanted out.My bones began to crack.The sound was sickening. Like branches snapping in a storm. My spine arched and I screamed again. My ribs shifted and reformed. My legs bent at impossible angles. I tried to stand but my body would not obey."Make it stop," I sobbed.
Tavian's POVThe air underground was wrong.It pressed against my lungs like something alive and every breath tasted like copper and rot. The tunnel stretched ahead into darkness and our flashlights barely cut through the thick shadows. Water dripped somewhere in the distance and the sound echoed off stone walls until it felt like we were surrounded.I moved fast. Too fast. Andrew had to grab my arm twice to keep me from running ahead blindly."Slow down," he hissed. "We do not know what is down here.""Ethel is down here," I snarled. "That is all I need to know."Behind us, six Greymoor wolves followed in tight formation. My father had wanted to send more but the tunnels were too narrow. Too unstable. We could only move in small groups.Andrew dropped to one knee and pressed his hand against the ground. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He was one of the best trackers in the pack and if anyone could find Ethel's scent it was him."Anything?" I asked."Faint," he said. "But she
Ethel's POVI stumbled backward and energy crackled in my palms.The sparks were brighter this time. Hotter. They danced across my skin like living things and the air around my hands shimmered with heat. Corvan watched me carefully but he did not move. Did not attack. He just stood there with his hands raised like he was approaching a frightened animal."Stay back," I warned and my voice shook. "I do not know what I will do if you come closer.""I am not here to hurt you," he said calmly. "I am here to protect you.""Protect me?" I laughed but it sounded bitter. "You dragged me into an underground chamber and told me my father is alive. That is not protection. That is kidnapping.""You fell through the floor because Mrs. Barlow triggered the trap," Corvan said. "I had nothing to do with that. But I have been waiting down here for weeks hoping you would find your way to me before Rufus got to you first.""Why should I believe you?" I demanded. "You are from Shiberis Claw. You are a reb
Tavian's POVI clawed at the stone until my fingers bled.The floor had sealed itself shut and no matter how hard I dug or how loud I roared, Ethel was gone. Trapped beneath me in the darkness and I could not reach her. My wolf was screaming inside my head and every instinct I had was telling me to tear the entire chapel apart stone by stone until I found her."Tavian, stop," Andrew shouted and he grabbed my shoulder. "You are going to break your hands."I shoved him off. "Get away from me.""We will find her," he said and his voice was firm. "But you need to calm down and think."Calm down. He wanted me to calm down when my mate was trapped underground and terrified. I could feel her fear through the bond. It was sharp and cold and it wrapped around my chest like barbed wire. Every second that passed was agony.I looked around the chapel wildly. Mrs. Barlow was gone. She had vanished the moment the floor swallowed Ethel. No trace. No scent. Like she had never been there at all."Wher
Ethel's POVI hit the ground hard.The impact stole every bit of air from my lungs and pain exploded through my back and ribs. Cold stone pressed against my cheek and the smell of damp earth and mildew filled my nose. For a moment I could not move. Could not breathe. Could not think.Above me, I heard Tavian screaming my name. His voice was raw and desperate and it tore through me worse than the fall. I tried to call back but my chest would not work. I gasped like a fish drowning in air.Then I heard it. A grinding sound. Stone scraping against stone. I forced my eyes open and looked up just in time to see the hole above me closing. The floor was sealing itself back together as it had never opened at all."No," I choked out. "No, wait."But it was too late. The stone ground into place with a final heavy thud and suddenly I was trapped in complete silence. Tavian's voice cut off. The chapel disappeared. I was alone in the dark.Panic clawed at my throat. I scrambled to my feet and my l







